Beyond the Walls: Conceptualizing Natural Environments as “Third Educators”

This research examined preservice early childhood educators’ perceptions of outdoor settings and their intentions to use outdoor settings in their teaching practice. Students enrolled in an early childhood education program (n = 110) at a university in the Great Lakes region completed surveys that assessed perceptions of natural settings, intentions to use natural settings in future teaching, knowledge of the benefits of nature for children, and personal nature relatedness. Participants reported relatively high intentions to use natural settings in future teaching, as well as knowledge of the benefits of nature for children, but moderate levels of personal nature relatedness. Participants were more likely to select “maintained” settings such as parks for educational purposes, and more “natural” settings, especially those with water, for personal purposes. Knowledge of the benefits of nature experiences, the perceived difficulty in using natural settings, and personal levels of nature relatedness each significantly predicted intention to use natural settings in future teaching. We recommend that teacher preparation programs provide: opportunities for students to observe and/or interact with children as they engage in unstructured play in natural environments; opportunities to engage in both structured and unstructured learning experiences in natural environments; and preparing students to provide appropriate supervision in natural environments

Financial Socialization of College Students: Domain-General and Domain-Specific Perspectives

This study investigated the association of domain-general and domain-specific parenting practices with college students’ financial attitudes and behaviors. Data came from a survey of college students (n = 585, 156 males) aged 19–32 attending a Midwestern University. Parents’ financial behaviors significantly predicted college students’ financial attitudes. Path analysis indicated that college students’ financial attitudes mediated the association between their perceptions of parents’ financial behaviors and their own financial behaviors. Parental avoidance of financial conversation was inversely associated with college students’ financial attitudes, and parental disclosure of financial information was positively associated with college students’ financial attitudes. Family communication pattern significantly predicted college students’ financial attitudes and moderated the association between parents’ financial behaviors and college students’ financial attitudes. These findings underscore the importance of examining both domain-general and domain-specific parenting practices in socialization and indicate that parental explicit financial communication may amplify or attenuate the influence of parental modeling

Does parental financial assistance assist young adults to be financially healthy? Effects of parent-child relationship qualities on financial outcomes and happiness

Many parents provide financial support for young adult children (Padilla-Walker, 2012). This financial support could help or hinder young adults\u27 financial wellbeing. This current study investigates young adults\u27 financial outcomes (e.g., financial responsibility, money management behavior and worry about money) as mediators of the associations between qualities of parent-child relationships (e.g., closeness with father, closeness with mother, spending time with father, and spending time with mother) and young adults\u27 overall happiness. The role of parental financial support was tested as a moderator of all significant pathways. Data from the Transition into Adulthood data set of the 2011 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID 2011), a nationally representative US sample were analyzed for this study. The respondents included in the analysis ranged from 17 to 27 years of age (N = 1,907). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used with M-plus software to test the model comparing young adults who received parental financial assistance to those who did not. The results indicate that financial behaviors mediated the associations between the quality of young adults\u27 relationships with their parents and overall happiness. In particular, less worry about money and close relationships with their fathers significantly affected young adults\u27 overall happiness regardless of receiving financial support from their parents. In addition, the SEM model is significantly different depending on whether or not young adults receive financial support from their parents. Young adults\u27 money management behaviors affected overall happiness only when they did not receive financial support from their parents. Young adults who had close relationships with their mothers showed less worry about money only when they did not receive parental financial assistance. Results from this study provide insight that the parents\u27 financial assistance may not help young adults strive for financial well-being arising from their own financial behaviors

Assessing Connections between Young Children’s Affinity for Nature and Their Experiences in Natural Outdoor Settings in Preschools

The purposes of this research were to: develop a reliable measure of children’s affinity for nature or “biophilia”; determine whether young children’s biophilia was related to the “green-ness” of the outdoor play area of the preschool they attend; examine whether demographic variables are associated with children’s biophilia; and determine whether demographic variables predict children’s enrollment in nature-oriented programs. We recruited children from ten early childhood education programs—six that had outdoor play spaces with many natural elements and four that had few or none of these elements. One hundred fourteen preschool-aged children completed an 11-item measure of biophilia that included preferences for play locations (outdoors or indoors, during day and evening), enjoyment of sensory aspects of nature (viewing wildlife, listening to birds), exploring nature (digging for worms, examining insects), and curiosity about nature (learning about wild animals). Total biophilia scores of children attending preschools with and without natural playground elements were compared via ANOVA, which revealed no significant differences as a function of preschool playground type (nature, non-nature). Maternal education and family income were not associated with children’s biophilia scores; however, children whose mothers completed more education and reported higher family income were more likely to be enrolled in programs with natural outdoor play spaces, suggesting that children who are disadvantaged in these factors may not have equal access to programs with natural play spaces

The Family Mealtime Study: Parent Socialization and Context During Family Meals

Research on the family mealtime has shown its importance for youths\u27 dietary attitudes and behaviors. Youths who have more frequent family meals often have more healthful dietary behaviors. However, little is known about the context and processes related to how family mealtimes affect youths\u27 dietary behaviors. To address this gap, we examined the context of family mealtimes and parent socialization that occurs during family meals through mealtime observations and interviews. Family mealtimes are valued by parents, and our findings can be useful to Extension professionals in educating parents and families regarding shaping of family mealtimes, feeding strategies, and nutrition

Scaffolding as a Tool for Environmental Education in Early Childhood

This paper describes the process of “scaffolding” as a teaching strategy in early childhood education, and demonstrates how scaffolding can promote children’s learning about the natural environment. Examples of scaffolding are provided from seventy-four running record observations made over a two-year period in a nature-based preschool program. Qualitative analysis examined the extent to which scaffolding was used to support children’s learning about nature; the types of scaffolding strategies used by teachers; whether high- and low-support strategies were used in specific types of situations; the effectiveness of scaffolding; and what children learned when teachers engaged them in scaffolding. Examples illustrate specific pedagogical strategies used in scaffolding. Scaffolding was used relatively frequently within the program (21% of events analyzed), and inferential questioning was the most frequently used strategy. Analysis did not reveal a pattern of high- or low-support strategies used in specific types of situations, but teachers flexibly used a variety of scaffolding strategies to support children’s learning about the natural environment. Preparation of physical and social environments for effective scaffolding is discussed, as well as the role of scaffolding in socializing children to engage in a culture of inquiry

Attentional Demands of Executive Function Tasks in Indoor and Outdoor Settings: Behavioral and Neuroelectrical Evidence

This study explored the influence of green environments on children’s cognitive functions by using an experimental, within-subjects design to compare children’s neural responses as they engaged in assessments of attention, inhibitory control, and spatial working memory in two different environments: a natural outdoor area and an indoor laboratory room. Ten children ages 6 to 11 years (M= 9.3; SD= 1.5) participated. Children performed significantly better on the spatial working memory task outdoors compared to indoors. There were no significant differences in attention or inhibitory control, but two markers of neurological activity were significantly larger indoors than outdoors, suggesting that more cognitive resources were needed to achieve the same level of performance indoors compared to outdoors

Preschool children’s biophilia and attitudes toward nature: The effect of personal experiences

Regular engagement outside may promote healthy physical and psychological development as well as a respect and appreciation for nature. This exploratory study compared biophilia and attitudes toward nature between young children living in an urban area to those in a rural area. Urban and rural areas may offer different opportunities for exposure and engagement with elements such as water, plants, and animals. A comparison between young children in these settings may determine if experience in these different environments affects their attitudes and biophilia. Thirty-six children (urban n = 27; rural n = 9) participated in one-on-one structured interviews about their attitudes toward and being in nature. Results revealed no significant difference in biophilia between children by geographical area. Common themes in children’s attitudes emerged: 1) young children define nature by identifying specific elements; 2) young children are aware that their actions have consequences for the condition of the natural environment; and 3) children understood that the expectations guiding behavior in the natural environment apply to everyone. Preschool children’s level of cognitive maturity and individual preferences may be better predictors of biophilia and attitude than location alone. Authors suggest implications for teachers and parents

Preschool children’s biophilia and attitudes toward nature: The effect of personal experiences

Regular engagement outside may promote healthy physical and psychological development as well as a respect and appreciation for nature. This exploratory study compared biophilia and attitudes toward nature between young children living in an urban area to those in a rural area. Urban and rural areas may offer different opportunities for exposure and engagement with elements such as water, plants, and animals. A comparison between young children in these settings may determine if experience in these different environments affects their attitudes and biophilia. Thirty-six children (urban n = 27; rural n = 9) participated in one-on-one structured interviews about their attitudes toward and being in nature. Results revealed no significant difference in biophilia between children by geographical area. Common themes in children’s attitudes emerged: 1) young children define nature by identifying specific elements; 2) young children are aware that their actions have consequences for the condition of the natural environment; and 3) children understood that the expectations guiding behavior in the natural environment apply to everyone. Preschool children’s level of cognitive maturity and individual preferences may be better predictors of biophilia and attitude than location alone. Authors suggest implications for teachers and parents

Examining the Roles of Parent–Child and Teacher–Child Relationships on Behavior Regulation of Children at Risk

The current study examined the effects of parent–child and teacher–child relationships on behavior regulation of children at risk. In particular, the amplifying or attenuating effect of one context (i.e., teacher–child relationships) for another context (i.e., parent–child relationship) on children’s behavior regulation was examined. Participants were 291 children (159 boys) ages 37–70 months (M = 53.88 months, SD = 6.44 months) from three different preschools serving low-income children in two Midwestern cities. Parents and teachers reported on their relationships with children during fall. Behavior regulation was assessed via structured tasks during spring and summer. After controlling for demographic variables, results showed that parent–child closeness and teacher–child conflict were related to children’s behavior regulation. Interaction models showed that when children experienced a combination of low parent–child closeness and high teacher–child conflict, they had lower levels of behavior regulation. Findings highlight the importance of parent–child and teacher–child relationships, both independently and together, for low-income children’s behavior regulation